We’re diving into sales psychology because, as you may have noticed, human beings aren’t very rational creatures. Sure, need can be a driving factor in purchasing, but it often has a lesser impact than how a product or service makes a customer feel. 

In your writing, your outreach, and your ongoing relationships with clients – the experience they have, and how it makes them feel about themselves matters. 

Here are five psychological triggers that help make sales:

01 – The Need To Give Back

It’s human nature to want to make an even trade. If people give us things for free, we tend to want to reciprocate. Offering value upfront – a free gift, content, advice, support, etc. creates an imbalance that your prospect often feels compelled to level out by doing something for you or making a purchase. 

02 – Identity

The brand of clothing we wear, the soft-drink we prefer, the car we drive… plenty of somewhat arbitrary purchasing habits become our personal identifiers. That’s why you’ll hear people say things like, “I’m a Jeep guy,” and why Jeep drivers often wave at each other on the road. The more you can get a customer committed to your brand, the more likely they are to intertwine it with their identity. That usually means a customer for life.

03 – Connection

Plain and simple, we buy things from people we like. It’s also easier to sell to prospects that we enjoy speaking with, and it’s a great practice to decide that you like all of your customers. (Yes, you can choose to hold affection for people.) Building human connections and a basis of trust with your prospects makes sales significantly simpler. 

04 – Scarcity

Gone are the days where the well-worn “Limited Time Offer” could fill your pipeline, though it still has a place in your line-up. Today’s nuanced audience responds most to a different form of scarcity: FOMO – the fear of missing out. The impression of scarce experiences and scarce social capital move people towards purchasing decisions.

05 – Unity

Have you noticed that Nike no longer mentions shoes in their advertising? By positioning their beliefs and morality in their content, they invite customers to show everyone their alignment with these forward-thinking principles by purchasing and wearing Nike shoes.  

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While we’re talking about the psychology of our customers, it’s important to note that how you view yourself as a salesperson is equally important. Sales is more humanistic than it gets credit for. You can’t navigate the problem solving, conflict resolution, and connection building that being in sales requires if you’re feeling overwhelmed.

Included in all of our SDR plans is free sales training, consulting, and weekly coaching calls so that you aren’t navigating the sales world alone. Connect with us, and let us know how we can help.